“San Francisco: On the Edge,” a student-led production from Montclair State University’s College of Communication and Media, won the student Emmy in the news category of the Television Academy Foundation’s 45th College Television Awards on March 28 in North Hollywood, California.
The team from Montclair State University seen at the 45th College Television Awards presented by the Television Academy Foundation at the Saban Media Center on Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Los Angeles. Photo courtesy of Brandon Lang
The production focused on San Francisco and its diversity, including reporting on the fentanyl drug crisis, homelessness, politics and environmental issues.
The award-winning report was shot over the course of a week by students in news producer and professor Steve McCarthy’s course, “On The Road: Reporting From the Field.” McCarthy explained why he created the course.
“The goal of this course is to take students out of their comfort zone,” said McCarthy. “And place them on the streets to report about important issues affecting communities in our nation.”
McCarthy explained he named the course after one of his mentors from his time at CBS, news correspondent Charles Kuralt. He reported on America for years in an ongoing series for the CBS Evening News called “On The Road.”
“I had the privilege of working with Charles while I was an up and coming journalist at CBS News,” McCarthy said. “I then spent the last 40 years traveling the U.S. and the globe reporting. I want to give this professional experience to our students.”
Andrew Cooper, the senior editor behind the award project. Photo courtesy of Isabelle Conklin
Andrew Cooper, a senior majoring in film and television, shared his personal difficulties as senior editor of the news special.
“One of the biggest challenges was co-producing the fentanyl crisis story,” said Cooper. “Producing the piece on the ground in San Francisco came with its own set of difficulties, but what I wasn’t fully prepared for was the emotional and mental weight of editing such heavy material. Sitting with the footage week after week, watching it back repeatedly was something I had to learn to navigate as I went”
Cooper expressed his gratitude towards McCarthy’s mentorship to the team.
“None of this would have been possible without the guidance, wisdom, and unwavering support of our professor, Steve McCarthy,” said Cooper. “His commitment to teaching and inspiring the next generation of storytellers is genuinely moving, and I cannot thank him enough for everything he has given to me, to our team, and to this show.”
McCarthy praised the class’ hard work.
“These students reached excellence and this national award shows that,” said McCarthy. “They put the work in and produced an interesting and important program. They beat some big time universities and colleges and brought home the gold. There is no limit to what they can do and achieve.”
In April, the team premiered the production in Presentation Hall.
“Seeing the finished product of something our entire team had spent months building was an incredibly special moment,” said Cooper. “It was the largest production I had been a part of at that point and watching it on a big screen surrounded by friends and family is something I won’t soon forget.”
The report can be viewed on hawkplus.tv.
